Vancouver's Olympic organizers are seeking additional funds from the federal government to help with French translation during the 2010 Winter Games.

The committee won't disclose how much it'll be asking for at Tuesday's meeting with representatives from the Department of Public Works and Government Services, but a recent study suggested it needs as much as $1.7 million to adequately provide services in both official languages during the Games.

The request comes as the organizing committee attempted to assuage concerns on Parliament Hill that both of Canada's official languages won't have equal representation in 2010.

The committee, known as VANOC, received a thorough grilling from MPs and senators at two official languages committee meetings this week where concerns were raised over the use of French in everything from cultural performances to the torch relay.

On Tuesday, MPs expressed resentment that despite years of meetings on the bilingualism at the Games, concrete action to implement it wasn't taken until the official languages commissioner released his report on the Games last year.

"We are getting the impression what we're saying isn't important," said New Brunswick Liberal MP Jean-Claude D'Amours.

Lack of translation resources

The scarcity of translation resources was one of the problems identified in the commissioner's report, which also called for the creation of an independent advisory panel on official languages at the Games.

The panel had its first meeting last week, though organizers said work has been underway for much longer to make sure French had an equal role during the Games.

But politicians from francophone communities suggested all that work wasn't amounting to very much, especially when it comes to putting a French face on the Games.

"You say you've been working for a number of years, but you weren't able to respect francophones in the year before the opening of the Games," D'Amours said.

D'Amours was referring to the lack of French during the one-year countdown concert held last February. Both senators and MPs voiced disgust that despite all the planning for the lavish festivities, only a few words in French were spoken at the last minute.

VANOC considers steps

VANOC had said it would take steps to increase the amount of francophone representation in the upcoming cultural Olympiad and on Tuesday revealed that five of the 20 projects already lined up feature French performers.

Tickets for those shows went on sale Tuesday.

Politicians were also told that an advisory committee on the opening and closing ceremonies features a government representative tasked with assuring the use of both languages.

French and English are not only the federal government's official languages but also those of the Olympic movement.

The challenge of providing French service during the Games extends beyond the organizing committee.

The broadcast consortium is still finalizing its plans to provide full French coverage of the Games. Politicians heard that coverage now extends to about 96 per cent of the population.

The need to provide bilingual signage and services in Vancouver, Whistler, B.C. and Richmond, B.C., have also been identified as potential weaknesses.

No control over city signs

VANOC's director of official languages, Francine Bolduc, stressed that while all of the signs at venues would be bilingual, the committee has no control over city signs in any of the host communities; nor could it compel hotels or restaurants to offer services in both languages.

Earlier this week, senators also voiced concerns over the current unilingual sign at the speedskating venue, which reads Richmond Olympic Oval.

The deal to use the Olympic name and rings on the oval before and after the Games was made with the International Olympic Committee in August.

The city of Richmond did not return a call seeking comment but Renée Smith-Valade, vice-president of communications for VANOC, said the language on the sign wasn't discussed during negotiations.

"In retrospect, this was an oversight, and VANOC will discuss the Oval's current and post-Games signage with the City of Richmond to look for possible solutions to render the exterior signage bilingual," she said in a statement.

VANOC will also seek to make sure formal signs for the other new venues will be bilingual.

There will be a bilingual sign on the oval during the Games, which will be held from Feb. 12 to 28, 2010.

The 2010 Cultural Olympiad will begin just before the Olympics and run until the end of the Paralympics.